Tuesday, 14 January 2014

About: Quiet Mind Meditation

After taking a deeply
inspiring meditation and yoga retreat in Bali, I came home with the
conviction that I wanted to share my passion for meditation with others. So I eagerly jumped into a personal mission to find out how to best do that .. besides some workplace training, I had little actual experience in 'teaching'.

I
signed up pretty much straight away for a Meditation Teaching Certificate with
Melbourne Meditation Centre, and that led to helping out with the setting up of Simply Silence (Elwood) where
I would also help lead group meditation sessions.

Then the Universe
shifted and I found myself taking a retrenchment from my corporate career.

This was it. Time.
Opportunity.

So, I started Quiet Mind Meditation

In mid 2009 Quiet Mind Meditation was born .. although like any birth she had been a sparkle in my eye for some time.

The first course I designed was "Exploring Meditation" .. a popular course that continues to thrive today. My aim is to share the wonders of meditation in a simple, practical and straightforward way .. so we understand the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of meditation, have an opportunity to explore a range of different techniques and start to experience some of the benefits of a regular meditation practice.

I believe that meditation is a life skill that everyone should learn

Meditation is not rocket science. In fact there are key principles that
underpin most meditation techniques, once you understand what you are doing and some of the common challenges and hurdles .. then all you really have to do it meditate!

THE FLOW OF CREATIVITY

I have found one of the nicest gifts from my meditation practice (besides greater calmness and awareness) is the amazing sense of creativity that opens up .. in fact, it is like a stream that constantly flows just below my conscious awareness in daily life. I come away from my morning practice with a healthy dose of enthusiasm and inspiring new ideas (keeping them out of my actual meditation practice is one of my key challenges).

So after setting up Quiet Mind Meditation there quickly followed .. my blog, opportunities to write for a couple of great online magazines and websites, the recording of my first guided meditation CD "Find The Stillness", presentation of a Breath Meditation workshop at a major Melbourne conference and my first mini E-Book.

in 2013 I launched the Quiet Mind Meditation E-Course to fulfill the request of those who were too time poor or far away to attend the course in Melbourne. The online version provides all the course notes, articles, online guided meditation and MOTIVATION for those wishing to start a regular meditation practice while .. at the beach over summer or on a work trip interstate, or at their desk during lunch. The E-Course runs every couple of months.Quiet Mind At WorkI also recently launched Quiet Mind At Work which speaks to the corporate world that I spent so much time in. I lived there too! I understand the pressures (time, financial, competitive) and recognise from a personal viewpoint how workplace well-being is something that most organisations have difficulty understand and implementing.There continues to be a ground swell of research and focus now on corporate well-being .. because as many organisations now know (ie. Google) there are huge benefits to looking after your staff .. benefits for the individual, team and organisation when people gain some tools to self manage their stress, along with building greater focus and concentration, broadening their awareness and openness to those around them, and expanded creativity and engagement .. all important tools for organisations seeking a competitive edge.

Is it any wonder that some of the most creative, innovative and inspiring global organisations have embracedmeditation instruction for their teams .. think, Microsoft, Google, Boeing ...

Who do I work with?

I have worked with large professional service firms, manufacturing businesses and government departments .. with regular ongoing classes, lunchtime learning sessions, well-being workshops, special event days and conference breakouts. I also provide 1-on-1 private meditation mentoring to senior executives who have come to recongise that their personal wellbeing (and personal development) is vital to their sense of self, their physical and mental health and their ability to thrive in a world that demands their highest performance.We all seek balance, happiness and fulfilment

My aim is to provide a clear, practical and straightforward approach to meditation, and I continue to explore new and creative ways to engage and share meditation.And so my 20+ year meditation journey continues .. because every time we sit and meditate, every time we get distracted
or lost in a thought, every time we fall off the ‘wagon’ and forget to meditate
.. we always have to start again.